Disability advocacy group resumes controversial subway protests

Seoul Metro employees stand off against members of Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination at Hyehwa Station in Seoul during Monday's morning rush hour amid a protest by the group, demanding improvements in accessibility for people with disabilities. Yonhap

For the first time in over a year, the national disability advocacy group Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination (SADD) staged a subway protest during Monday's morning rush hour, once again demanding improvements in accessibility for people with disabilities.

“We have waited for a year and asked the National Assembly to create policies to protect the rights of people with disabilities. Despite submitting budget proposals, none have been passed. We will return to the subway during the morning commute,” said SADD leader Park Kyung-seok.

The platforms at Hyehwa Station erupted into chaos as around 200 protesters clashed with Seoul Metro employees at 8:45 a.m., causing a tense standoff during the morning rush hour.

Seoul Metro, the public enterprise that operates subway lines 1 to 8, ordered trains to bypass Hyehwa Station between 9:02 a.m. and 9:24 a.m.

The protest ended around 9:28 a.m. after both parties reached an agreement. The protesters then boarded a train bound for the National Assembly, where they planned to deliver policy proposals to political parties and hold another rally for disability rights.

Park Kyung-seok, leader of Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination, lies in the doorway to a subway train at Hyehwa Station in Seoul, Monday, during the group's protest for mobility rights. Yonhap

SADD began the controversial subway protests in December 2021 to demand an increase in the public budget for accessibility, with many wheelchair users simultaneously boarding and disembarking from trains during peak commuting hours.

Authorities in Seoul have responded harshly, forcibly dragging activists out of the subway. They were also accused of engaging in media manipulation by portraying the protesters as a public nuisance to passengers.

The group staged 61 subway protests by April 8 last year. It then reached an agreement with the city government to take a one-year hiatus, resuming activities this year to mark Disabled Persons' Day, which was Sunday.

After holding several sit-ins on subway platforms during the hiatus, the group resumed its more active protests following a rally and overnight demonstration the day before.

In response, the city government condemned the group’s actions, claiming that the protest caused around 21 million won ($14,805) in damage and led to 245 complaints between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m.

“The subway is an important public mode of transportation not only for Seoul citizens but also for commuters to the Seoul metropolitan area, and the city government will strongly respond to illegal activities by pursuing legal measures,” it said.

Over the years, the city government has filed multiple lawsuits against SADD activists, seeking a total of 893 million won in compensation.

Park, the leader of SADD, was chosen as the focus of Amnesty International’s annual letter-writing campaign, “Write for Rights,” last year.

A total of 464,710 letters were sent to Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon earlier this month to condemn the city’s response to the movement.